Arabic version: ملبورن روفرز يبني شعوراً بالانتماء عبر كرة القدم

According to ABC News, Melbourne Rovers has become a vital community for queer footballers, including club president Stuart Bonner, who says the support he found through the team helped him through a history of suicidal ideation, self-harm thoughts and suicide attempts.

Bonner, 31, grew up in Glasgow and says he was relentlessly bullied after being outed at high school. He describes football as a difficult environment for gay people, with pressure to hide parts of themselves or conform to expectations of masculinity. At the LGBTQIA+-inclusive club, he says players can stop pretending and feel accepted.

Research cited by ABC News says LGBTQ+ people in Scotland feel more than twice as excluded from football than from other sports. In Australia, 53 per cent of young LGBTQIA+ people have witnessed discrimination in community sport, while 40 per cent have experienced it personally. Ryan Storr of Victoria University and Proud2Play said many queer men avoid mainstream clubs because of homophobia and discrimination.

The Rovers field two men’s teams in Football Victoria’s Metro leagues, competing in Metro 7 and Metro 9. Their Metro 7 side finished third this season after winning 11 of 18 matches and scoring 87 goals. Bonner says the club welcomes everyone while retaining competitive ambitions: the team trains to win.

The club is also adding a women’s team in 2027 after hearing that many women’s teams across Victoria felt unsupported by mainstream clubs. Aisling Haugh, a trans woman who joined the Metro 9 team, said the inclusive setting has allowed her to enjoy sport, feel safe and focus on playing. Melbourne Rovers had 68 members this year, with belonging rated highest in its member surveys.